The study was done by recruiting 80 people – 32 death metal fans and 48 non-fans. The participants were asked to listen to one track by Bloodbath and “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, while being shown corresponding violent and non-violent images. Researchers studying their reactions found participants from each category reacted to both stimuli the same way.

Bloodbath lead singer Nick Holmes told the BBC he wasn’t surprised. "The majority of death metal fans are intelligent, thoughtful people who just have a passion for the music," he said. "It's the equivalent of people who are obsessed with horror movies or even battle re-enactments."